The Zumo 660 motorcycle GPS that you folks helped me buy this year is working out well.  I am easily able to make very precise maps on my computer at home with their program called Mapsource and then transfer it to the Zumo plus I can mail the custom maps to anyone for their Zumo.  I have tried out some very difficult routes with Bill Muneio and George Crespo with very good results and have posted the routes on our new MAP page. So this means that club rides will also be beneficial and especially for multi-day rides.  In fact, our upcoming September ride was made entirely with Mapsource as we go over East Camino Cielo which Bill said is in much better shape now that they have worked on it.

Stop by our 2009 Ride Calendar so you can plan out your 2009 weekends and send me your suggestions for the open months that we have for 2010.  Also give me your suggestions for 3 dayers, preferably Saturday, Sunday and Monday which works out much better than Friday thru Sunday.

So, do you LOVE your bike?  Are you and your bike ONE when you ride down the highway?  Do you treat your bike like a human? Not everyone owns a bike that they truly love. Fortunately I've had some enjoyable bikes since 1980 but currently I do own my 2 dream bikes- a 2005 Yamaha FJR purchased at Cal Coast Motorsports and a 1989 Honda Pacific Coast bought from my friend Jim Reed.  The FJR is blue, my favorite color, and the PC is Pearl White, my favorite color of all the PC colors, so just looking at these bikes soothes my soul and then riding them puts me in a real good mood.  
It is important to make sure you are comfortable and happy on your bike and what's perfect for me doesn't mean it will be perfect for you.  I am really happy with my 2 bikes and it hurts me to see riders on bikes that are not working for them.  
For those that have found their perfect bike please share it with us. A couple of paragraphs and a photo would be perfect for the newsletter.  It will only take 10 minutes of your time and it will add something new to the newsletter.

Visit our new page "Zumo Routes" where you can submit and also download routes to your Zumo.

Club Shirts You can now order your Club shirt online.

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TOURING TIP:
Coping with hot weather
Courtesy of RoadRUNNER Magazine

It's August and temperatures are soaring across much of North America. Because our bodies need to maintain a relatively constant core temperature, sweat produces surface moisture on our skin that cools us as it evaporates. The hotter the temperature, the more riders sweat and deplete their bodily liquids. In very dry climates, the sweat evaporates so quickly that a rider may not realize the rapid rate at which he or she is dehydrating.

The loss of approximately one quart of body fluids can produce symptoms of dehydration, which include decreased urine flow that becomes more yellow (more concentrated) in color, reduced physical strength and stamina, drowsiness or even dizziness, slower mental processes and impaired judgment and decision-making. These symptoms, undoubtedly, increase a rider's risk of having a serious accident. In more extreme situations, dehydration, itself, can become life threatening.

It's obviously a good practice to drink water and other clear fluids when you get thirsty, but in hot weather that usually does not rehydrate our bodies sufficiently for two reasons: (1) humans, unlike most other members of the animal kingdom, do not always get thirsty when they need rehydration and (2) even when we think we've consumed enough water, we usually haven't. While riding in a hot dry climate, your body will need to consume at least a gallon of water each day to replace lost fluids. If your riding off-road and exerting a great deal in the process, then a much higher consumption of water will be needed.

Avoid consuming drinks that contain caffeine, because they can produce an unquenchable thirst and also act as a diuretic, increasing urine production and the loss of body fluids. It's also important to replace your body's electrolytes (potassium, chloride and sodium) with fruit, juices or sports type drinks to maintain effective brain and neuromuscular functions.

Many of us stop only periodically to drink water in large quantities, but much of this rapidly consumed water winds up in our small intestines and isn't absorbed into body tissues. A more effective technique is to carry a water bladder on your back and sip small amounts from it frequently while riding. This is one time when it's OK, actually much more than OK, to drink and ride. CCR

Cuyama/Tim Bates August Ride
By Suzana
CCR